The ULM Chi Beta Chapter of the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society, along with students from SOCW4016: Practice II, were tasked with bringing awareness to a current social issue in society. Increased awareness of school shootings with a focus on preventing gun violence in schools was chosen as the topic, and the students got to work. The panel was held on Monday in the student center building on campus.

UPD and MPD were invited to the panel to explain what to do in the case of an active shooter on campus. Different examples of how to stay safe on campus were presented,

but the most popular piece of advice was awareness.  After the presentation, an open discussion followed where students could ask questions about what they’d learned.

“We promote students being aware of their surroundings, and if they see anything that is not right or something that does not belong, CALL THE POLICE, We strongly advocate ‘see something, say something,’” said assistant director of the University Police Department, Mark Johnson.

He also brought up the Warhawk Alert app, which sends out mass texts to the student body when an emergency takes place. Unfortunately, use of the app is very low, ranging between 30 to 40 percent.

Johnson also discussed the ways to report crime on campus.

“ULM PD has multiple ways to report activity through phones, calls boxes and confidential silent witness emails where concerns can be provided to ULM PD without ever giving an identity,” he said.

A PowerPoint made by the social work students was shown at the panel. According to the presentation, there have already been eight school shootings in 2018. Since the infamous Columbine High School Massacre on April 20, 1999, there have been over 200 school shootings.

When assigned the job of bringing light to a current social issue, ULM social work students didn’t shy away from the challenge. On Saturday, ULM students joined Neville High School and Monroe City in a march to help bring awareness to gun violence on school campuses. The march began at Neville High School and ended at Monroe City Hall.

Associate professor in social work, Dr. Jennifer Savage remembers practicing safety drills as a kid. The threat of a nuclear attack was a frightening possibility during that time.

“Surely, we should be as aware of threats that actually are happening and what to do ‘in case of,’ with school shootings averaging about once a month now,” Savage said. 

The project started as an assignment for class but turned into a real conversation about safety. The march was an extension of other peaceful protests taking place across the country in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

The Chi Beta chapter and social work students aren’t stopping after the march either. Contacting legislators is on the to-do-list as well. At 9 a.m. on April 20, there will be a school walkout for 17 minutes in honor of the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“I march for my grandchildren and all other students who deserve better protection–who shouldn’t have to be scared of their campuses,” Savage said.